STEVIE WONDER : NFL PROTESTS DON'T DISRESPECT THE FLAG... Trump's Disrespecting the People

 9/30/2017 12:10 AM PDT
EXCLUSIVE
Stevie Wonder is telling TMZ Sports exactly what the national anthem protests mean to him ... and why taking a knee does NOT disrespect the flag.
We asked Stevie about the NFL movement sweeping the country ... and he told us that it's a fight for respect and unity -- two things Donald Trump wasn't preachin' when he told NFL owners to fire their "SOB" players.
"People want to be respected ... the constitution's about everyone being respected," Stevie said.
"It's about stopping all this ... putting one group against the other group."
As for criticism that kneeling ain't patriotic -- "People have died for the flag -- everyone, every culture, every ethnicity -- so it's not about not valuing the flag." 
FYI, the legendary singer joined the protest last weekend ... dropping to his knees in back-to-back concerts.

Hugh Hefner, Playboy founder, dead at 91

He died from natural causes, the statement read. 

With a bon vivant philosophy, urbane sophistication and sheer marketing brilliance, Hefner was an icon for the sexual revolution of the 1960s, the man-about-town embodiment of the lifestyle he promoted with gusto and a sly wink to readers.

Asked by the New York Times in 1992 of what he was proudest, Hefner responded: "That I changed attitudes toward sex. That nice people can live together now. That I decontaminated the notion of premarital sex. That gives me great satisfaction."

When he turned 85, he cheerfully observed, "You're as young as the girl you feel."

After a round of celebrity cheating by Tiger Woods and Jesse James was exposed, Hefner summed up his own attitude: "I had a lot of girlfriends, but it's not the same as cheating. I don't cheat. I am very open about what I do. ... I think that when you are in a relationship, you should be honest. The real immorality of infidelity is the lying."

The man known to millions simply as "Hef" was born April 9, 1926, in Chicago, the elder of two sons.

His parents were strict Methodists and Hefner went to Chicago schools before joining the Army, attending the Chicago Art Institute and graduating from the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana with a degree in psychology.

"Part of the reason that I am who I am is my Puritan roots run deep," he told the Associated Press in 2011. "My folks are Puritan. My folks are prohibitionists. There was no drinking in my home. No discussion of sex. And I think I saw the hurtful and hypocritical side of that from very early on. "

After working first as a copywriter for "Esquire" – where he reportedly left because he didn't get a $5 raise – Hefner decided to start his own publication and he raised $8,000 from 45 investors to launch "Playboy" in December 1953. (He had originally planned to call it "Stag Night," but was forced to change the name to avoid trademark infringement.)

It was produced in his kitchen and carried no date because he wasn't sure there would be a second issue.

But with the trademark intuition and shrewdness that seemed to always ensure his success, Hefner had acquired a nude photo of Marilyn Monroe for the centerfold, taken before the start of her film career.

The magazine sold 50,000 copies, making it an immediate success. (Hefner later bought the crypt next to Monroe's in a Los Angeles cemetery.)

An empire was launched, with Hefner – who divorced first wife Mildred Williams in 1959 – as its charismatic, cosmopolitan head.

Often pictured in pajamas – or a silk smoking jacket - and smoking a pipe, Hefner personally promoted the Playboy philosophy as the magazine became an amalgam of nude photographs of gorgeous women and intellectual writing. ("I just read Playboy for the articles," was a standard, if joking, line at the time.)

"If you had to sum up the idea of Playboy, it is anti-Puritanism," he was quoted as saying as the country's mood became more hedonistic.


In addition to the magazine, there were Playboy clubs, with "bunny" waitresses, two short-lived television series and a host of other Playboy Enterprises projects. From 2005-2010, a reality show detailing Hefner's relationship with then-girlfriends Kendra Wilkinson, Holly Madison and Bridget Marquardt ran on E! called "The Girls Next Door."

In 1975, Hefner moved to Los Angeles and in 1985, he suffered a minor stroke.

In 1989, he married longtime girlfriend Kimberly Conrad and for a while became a family man with two young sons before the couple separated in 1998.

"My father lived an exceptional and impactful life as a media and cultural pioneer and a leading voice behind some of the most significant social and cultural movements of our time in advocating free speech, civil rights and sexual freedom," Cooper Hefner, Hefner's son and chief creative officer at Playboy Enterprises, said in a statement.

Conrad and Hefner's divorce was finalized in 2010 and he proposed in 2011 to 24-year-old Crystal Harris, a former Playmate. Harris called off the wedding days before the ceremony, but changed her mind and they married at the end of 2012.

In August 2016, Hefner sold the iconic Playboy Mansion for $100 million. The deal was contingent on the understanding that the Playboy founder would live in the Mansion until the time of his death.

Hefner is survived by his wife Crystal as well as his daughter, Christie; and his sons, David, Marston and Cooper.

Playboy released no information on memorial plans, but Hefner owns a burial plot at a Los Angeles cemetery next to Marilyn Monroe.

The Playboy website was taken over on Thursday with a simple tribute to the man behind the company that featured an image of a younger Hefner and the quote, "Life is too short to be living somebody else's dreams."

Condolence to the family and friends
RIP  Hef     Shadow  and Witchy

Gregg Popovich says the US has become 'an embarrassment to the world' in speech slamming Trump and white privilege

 Business Insider       CORK GAINES         September  26th 2017 
Gregg Popovich has once again criticized President Donald Trump, saying the country has become "an embarrassment to the world"

Popovich spoke at Media Day for the San Antonio Spurs on Monday and was asked about Trump's recent comments criticizing NFL players who sit or kneel during the national anthem.

In an uninterrupted seven-minute speech, Popovich slammed the president for being "delusional," for "gratuitous fear-mongering and race-baiting," for enabling people like NASCAR owners who would fire people or kick people out of the country for non-violent protests, and for lowering the reputation of the country to the point that the U.S. has become "an embarrassment to the world."

"I think [the NASCAR owners and others] have been enabled by an example that we have all been given and we have seen it in Charlottesville and on and on and on. That's not a surprise," Popovich said. "Our country is an embarrassment in the world."

In separate speech, responding to a different question, Popovich also criticized white privilege, calling race "the elephant in the room," and noting that change won't happen until people feel uncomfortable, "especially white people."

"Obviously, race is the elephant in the room, and we all understand that, but unless it is talked about constantly, it is not going to get better. People get bored. 'Oh, is it that again. He's pulling the race card again. Why do we have to talk about that?' Well, because it's uncomfortable and there has to be an uncomfortable element in the discourse for anything to change. Whether it's the LGBT movement or women's suffrage, it doesn't matter. People have to be made to feel uncomfortable, and especially white people, because we're comfortable. We still have no clue of what being born white means... It's hard to sit down and decide, yes, it's like you are at the 50-meter mark in a 100-meter dash. You've got that kind of a lead. Yes, because you were born white, you have advantages that are systemically, culturally, psychologically, there, and they have been built up and cemented for hundreds of years. but many people can't look at it. It's too difficult... People want to hold their position. They want the status quo. People don't want to give that up. And until it is given up, it's not going to be fixed."
GREGG POPOVICH, SAN ANTONIO SPURS COACH
Ultimately though, Popovich said it was time for people to actually do something to create change instead of just constantly complaining about Trump.

To dwell on that, sometimes I think is the wrong way to go, because it is so obvious now, it's boring," Popovich said. "The childishness, and the gratuitous fear-mongering and race-baiting, has been so consistent it's almost expected. The bar has been lowered so far that I think it is more important to be thinking about what to do... You've got a choice. We can continue to bounce our heads off the wall with his conduct or we can decide the institutions of our country are more important, that people are more important, that the decent America we all thought we had and want is more important and get down to business at the grass roots level and do what we have to do."

Popovich has not been shy in his criticisms of Trump. Shortly after the inauguration in January, Popovich said "You really can’t believe anything that comes out of his mouth." In February, Popovich described Trump's "inability to get over himself" as "scary."
You can see Popovich's first speech here:

Facebook to provide ads bought by Russian company to congressional committees probing Trump ties

 Facebook Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg would be 36 years old by the time the 2020 election rolls around. (Esteban Felix / Associated Press)
David S. Cloud David S. CloudContact Reporter
Facebook said on Thursday that it would turn over to Congress copies of more than 3,000 ads linked to a shadowy Russian company, for House and Senate committees’ investigations of Kremlin interference in the 2016 election.

The move is an about-face for Facebook, which earlier this month said it had given the ads and other information to Special Counsel Robert S. Mueller III, who is conducting a criminal investigation of possible links between Russia and the Trump campaign. But Facebook has said it could not give the material to Congress due to privacy concerns.

Most of the ads did not mention Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton, but focused on immigration, gun control, gay rights and other divisive social issues. They were purchased by 470 fake accounts traced back to the Internet Research Agency, a Russian firm known for using troll accounts to post on news sites.

“After an extensive legal and policy review, today we are announcing that we will also share these ads with congressional investigators,” said Colin Stretch, Facebook’s general counsel, in a blog post. “We believe it is vitally important that government authorities have the information they need to deliver to the public a full assessment of what happened in the 2016 election.”

Facebook’s chief executive, Mark Zuckerberg, said that the company was taking steps to provide more transparency about political ads that run on the site and to prevent covert attempts to influence elections. He said Facebook would continue to investigate attempts by Russia and other “foreign actors” to use the site to interfere in other countries’ elections.

“I don't want anyone to use our tools to undermine democracy. That's not what we stand for,” Zuckerberg said in a video statement.

Facebook executives had briefed the Senate Intelligence Committee earlier this month on the Russian-linked ads. But Sen. Mark Warner of Virginia, the top Democrat on the committee, and other lawmakers had criticized the company for refusing to turn over the materials that it had given to Mueller.

Rep. Adam Schiff of Burbank, the senior Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, said in a statement that the Facebook material “should help us better understand what happened, beyond the preliminary briefings we already received.”

He added, “It will be important for the Committee to scrutinize how rigorous Facebook's internal investigation has been, to test its conclusions and to understand why it took as long as it did to discover the Russian sponsored advertisements and what else may yet be uncovered.”

Schiff made clear that Facebook is not be the only company that investigators expect to hear from.

“As we continue our investigation to get to the bottom of Russia’s multifaceted attack on our democratic process,” he said, “I believe it will be necessary to hear directly from Facebook, Google and Twitter, as well as others in the tech sector, including in open hearings that will inform the American public.”

15 Popular Shows That Won’t Return to TV in 2018

Michelle Regalado  
Every new television season brings a slew of exciting freshman shows, but — unfortunately for some fans — it also brings the conclusion of some long-running favorites. Several networks have already begun announcing which titles on their respective line-ups are getting renewed and which will not be back for another season. Here are 15 popular shows that won’t return to the small screen in 2018.
The Vampire Diaries

Ian Somerhalder and Paul Wesley play the Salvatore brothers on The Vampire Diaries 
The Vampire Diaries | The CW
The CW fantasy drama was once one of the highest-rated shows on the network, but that hasn’t been the case in recent seasons. Luckily for its devoted fans, the channel decided against abruptly canceling the series, and instead gave the show one more 16-episode season. Season 8 kicked off in fall 2016 and wrapped up in March with original lead Nina Dobrev (who exited the series after Season 6) returning as a guest star in the series finale.
2. Orphan Black 

Tatiana Maslay stars in Orphan Black on BBC America
Orphan Black | BBC America
BBC America’s cult series has earned critical acclaim and a loyal fanbase throughout its run, but the story is set to conclude for good in 2017. As announced in 2016, the Tatiana Maslany starrer will air one more 10-episode season that — as co-creators John Fawcett and Graeme Manson described — will bring an “epic conclusion to the tale of Sarah and her clone sisters.” The show’s final run of episodes will kick off in June 2017.
3. Teen Wolf

Tyler Posey stars in Season 4 of Teen Wolf on MTV
Teen Wolf | MTV
At 2016’s San Diego Comic-Con, MTV confirmed that this favorite fantasy drama will end after its sixth season. According to the announcement, the network planned the show’s conclusion to occur after its 100th episode — a special milestone that both cast members and producers described as a “good place” to end. The final season of the show (which premiered in November 2016) is split into two 10-episode arcs, instead of telling a single story. The second part of the series will air in summer 2017.
4. Pretty Little Liars

Troian Bellisario, Ashley Benson, Lucy Hale, Shay Mitchell, and Sasha Pieterse on Freeform's Pretty Little Liars
Pretty Little Liars | Freeform
After months of speculation, Freeform finally confirmed that its hit mystery drama, Pretty Little Liars, will end after its upcoming seventh season. The show, starring Troian Bellisario, Ashley Benson, Lucy Hale, Shay Mitchell, and Sasha Pieterse, will air its final 10 episodes starting in April 2017.

After six seasons of non-stop drama, Season 7 will (hopefully) deliver some long-awaited answers to fans. The concluding installments will end with a special two hour series finale in mid-June of 2017.
5. Bones

Emily Deschanel and David Boreanaz star in Fox's Bones 
Bones | Fox
Back in February 2016, it was announced that Season 12 would also be the last for Fox’s long-running drama. The move didn’t come as a huge surprise to fans, as the show had seen dipping ratings in recent seasons and the series stars had openly suggested that the drama may be approaching its end.

The final 12-episode season of Bones kicked off in January 2017, finally bringing the story of Brennan (Emily Deschanel), Booth (David Boreanaz), and the Jeffersonian FBI team to a close. While the show isn’t expected to return to the air in 2018, fans shouldn’t fret. Rumors of a potential revival have already started circulating.
6. Girls

Lena Dunham and Jemima Kirke star in Girls on HBO
Girls | HBO
After earning plenty of critical acclaim in its first five seasons, Lena Dunham’s groundbreaking comedy drama will wrap up for good in the spring of 2017. HBO first confirmed that the sixth season would be the show’s last, following Dunham’s hints that Season 6 would be an ideal ending point for the series.

Girls kicked off its final 10-episode season in February, with the series finale airing in April 2017.
7. The Leftovers

Season 2 of The Leftovers on HBO 
The Leftovers | HBO
After over a year off the air, the HBO drama debuted its third season in April 2017. Season 3 will consist of a total of eight episodes and will reportedly relocate all of the action to Australia. As previously announced, this will be the final run for the drama, with HBO opting not to bring the series back for more episodes in 2018.
8. Workaholics

Blake Anderson, Adam DeVine, and Anders Holm star in Workaholics on Comedy Central
Workaholics | Comedy Central
The seventh season of the Comedy Central series was also be its last. The decision to end the show was reportedly made by stars, Blake Anderson, Adam DeVine, and Anders Holm, who have made a name for themselves in feature films and other arenas since the series first debuted.

Though the show won’t be back in 2018, don’t worry — that won’t be the last time you see the three actors together. The trio is already planning on teaming up for a new Netflix movie titled, Game Over, Man!. 
9. Reign

Adelaide Kane plays Mary, Queen of Scots in Reign on The CW
Reign | The CW
The CW’s period drama, chronicling the story of Mary, Queen of Scots, began airing its fourth and final season in February 2017. According to Variety, the decision to make this season the last one was not totally unexpected, as the network had ongoing conversations about the show’s possible ending with producers. The final season consists of 16 episodes.
10. Bates Motel

Vera Farmiga and Freddie Highmore star in Bates Motel on A&E
Bates Motel | A&E
As confirmed at San Diego Comic-Con in 2016, A&E’s Bates Motel is shutting its doors after Season 5. The announcement wasn’t a shock, as executive producers Carlton Cuse and Kerry Ehrin had long made it known that they envisioned the series to be a five-season run. Luckily for fans, the last season proved to be quite memorable, with Rihanna appearing as a surprising guest star. The fifth and final season debuted in February 2017 and consisted of 10 total episodes.
11. Longmire

Robert Taylor and Katee Sackhoff walk together sporting sheriff badges in a scene from Longmire
Longmire | Netflix
Longmire has had a complicated history, getting axed at A&E in 2014 and then picked up by Netflix later that same year. Though the crime drama may have avoided cancellation once, the same can’t be said this time around. The series, starring Robert Taylor and Katee Sackhoff, is set to air a 10-episode sixth and final season in 2017, marking a conclusion to the show’s bumpy journey. Season 6 will hit Netflix sometime in 2017, although a specific premiere date is still undetermined.
12. Switched at Birth

Vanessa Marano and Katie Leclerc lay on the grass in a poster for Switched at Birth on Freeform
Switched at Birth | Freeform
This veteran Freeform series also won’t be returning in 2018. The family drama kicked off its fifth and final season in late January, following a lengthy, year-long hiatus. While the season marked the end for the show, it also featured plenty of memorable moments for fans. The 10-episode farewell season included the show’s 100th episode, as well as a special 90-minute series finale in April 2017.
13. Episodes

Matt LeBlanc holds up his hands while talking to a woman in Episodes
Episodes | Showtime
The Showtime comedy, starring Matt LeBlanc as a charming but highly arrogant actor who’s trying for a comeback, will return for a fifth and final season. Though the show has never been a big ratings earner for the network, it’s been an awards favorite, with LeBlanc earning four Emmy nods for the series.

The final seven-episode run begins on Aug. 20, following a lengthy hiatus.
14. Halt and Catch Fire

The cast of 'Halt and Catch Fire' in a messy room with the words 'Welcome to Mutiny' spray painted behind them.
Halt and Catch Fire | AMC
AMC‘s Halt and Catch Fire is halting for good. The channel’s acclaimed drama will air its fourth and final season this year. The show’s final run, designed to “write the series focused on the dawn of the computer industry in the 1980s in Texas and California to conclusion,” will consist of 10 episodes.
15. The Get Down 

Two men in red and white spinning playing music surrounded by recording equipment
The Get Down | Netflix
Netflix pulled the plug on Baz Luhrmann’s ambitious musical drama in May 2017 — just a month after the release of the second half of Season 1. Netflix doesn’t release its ratings, but the cancellation may have been partly due to the high cost of the show. The Get Down was among Netflix’s most expensive shows, with Season 1 costing about $120 million to produce.

Luhrmann’s busy schedule also played a part in the series cancellation, preventing him from being able to commit to Season 2 full-time. “This exclusivity has understandably become a sticking point for Netflix and Sony, who have been tremendous partners and supporters of the show,” Lurhmann wrote in a Facebook post announcing the cancellation. “It kills me that I can’t split myself into two and make myself available to both productions… But the simple truth is, I make movies.

See you in the funnies ............Shadow  & Witchy

2 stories , you be the Judge #1 :IS DEATH ROW INMATE GLEN ROGERS THE REAL KILLER IN THE O.J. SIMPSON MURDER CASE?

ZZ by BENJAMIN H. SMITH SEPTEMBER 1, 2017
The prosecution of O.J. Simpson for the murders of his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman is one of the defining moments of the 1990’s. The sensational details of the crime, the star-studded circus of the trial and its contested outcome still capture our imagination and have inspired two of the year’s most popular television series; FX’s dramatized The People v. O. J. Simpson: American Crime Story and the ESPN documentary O.J.: Made in America.  However, what if O.J. really didn’t do it? Friday’s all-new episode of It Takes A Killer, airing at 9:30/8:30c, profiles “Casanova Killer” Glen Rogers, who left a trail of dead women from coast to coast in 1995 and claims he killed the footballer’s wife and her friend after he was hired by O.J. to break into Nicole’s Brentwood, California home to steal back a pair of diamond earrings.

Glen Edward Rogers was raised in abusive family in Hamilton, Ohio and developed a gregarious outgoing personality to compensate for his low IQ and insecurity. A drifter, he landed in California in the early ‘90s after possibly murdering his roommate Mark Peters, whose dead body was found on a property belonging to Rogers’ family in Kentucky. In Los Angeles he worked odd jobs including painting, and allegedly worked for the Simpsons. In September of 1995 he picked up Sandra Gallagher in a bar in Van Nuys, California, strangled her to death and set her and her car on fire. Thus began a two-month murder spree as Rogers killed red-headed women from Mississippi to Florida and landed him on the FBI’s 10 Most Wanted List. After his arrest he boasted of killing up to 70 people.

Glen Rogers currently sits on death row in Florida, where he was convicted for the murder of Tina Marie Cribbs. Since 2012 he has claimed he was the man behind the brutal stabbing deaths of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman. He claims O.J. Simpson hired him to steal back the diamond earrings with the caveat that he “may have to kill the bitch.” His story is corroborated by his brother Clay, who recalls him telling him at the time he was partying with the Simpsons and that he was going to “take her down.” The LAPD are “quite confident” they know who the real killer is, citing the extensive DNA evidence incriminating O.J. Simpson, but say they will investigate Rogers' claims. Prosecutors in Florida though think this is just a ruse by the Casanova Killer to further delay his eventual execution.  
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
STORY # 2 :
Death Row Inmate Says He Killed Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman

BY LINDSAY WILLIAM-ROSS IN NEWS ON NOV 21, 2012 
Glen Rogers, now an inmate on Death Row, says he was asked by O.J. Simpson to kill Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman, according to a new documentary.
In the TV special "My Brother The Serial Killer," narrator and Rogers' sibling Clay Rogers says he is "absolutely certain" Glen killed Brown Simpson and Goldman in 1994, according to CNN. 

"Receipts show that Glen was working as a housepainter in L.A. in 1994, and family members claimed Glen told them that he was working for Nicole Brown Simpson, and that he said she was rich and he was going to 'take her down,'" according to the show's description on Discovery.

No matter the insistence by Clay Rogers on the documentary, relatives of Ron Goldman and local authorities are angered and dubious, respectively.
From CNN:

"I am appalled at the level of irresponsibility demonstrated by the network and the producers of this so-called documentary," [Ron Goldman's sister] Kim Goldman told CNN. "I'm disappointed at the way this story was handled. Is this a confession?"
Goldman's father Fred made a similar objection:

"The overwhelming evidence at the criminal trial proved that one, and only one, person murdered Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman. That person is OJ Simpson and not Glen Rogers."

Commander Andrew Smith of the Los Angeles Police Department told CNN they're also fairly certain Rogers is not involved, however they will consider the possibility:
"The LAPD is quite confident that we know who killed Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman. We have no reason to believe that Mr. Rogers was involved. Nevertheless, in the interest of being thorough in this case, our robbery homicide detectives will investigate his claims."

Per the documentary, Rogers told criminal profiler Anthony Meoli that O.J. Simpson "had hired him to break into his ex-wife's condo to steal diamond earrings he had given her." Part of his instructions suggested something more drastic than robbery:
"Glen told me that OJ's instructions were that 'You may have to kill the bitch,'" Meoli said. "Those were his exact words."
OJ Simpson was charged with the murders but was acquitted.
Rogers was arrested in November 1995, and claims to have killed "at least 70 women," according to authorities. He was sentenced to death in Florida, and again in California; he currently awaits execution in Florida, but if he is brought to trial in California for the Brown Simpson and Goldman case, it could postpone his death.

Country artist Troy Gentry of Montgomery Gentry dies in helicopter crash

Troy Gentry

Eddie  Montgomery  & Troy Gentry  

JENNIFER KLINE, AOL.COM      Sep 8th 2017 

Country artist Troy Gentry has died at 50 in a helicopter crash, according to reports out of his Kentucky hometown.

Gentry was one half of country duo Montgomery Gentry. The band was scheduled to perform in New Jersey Friday night, and the fatal incident reportedly occurred not far from the venue.

Early reports indicated that two people were killed in the crash. It is not believed that the other individual was fellow band member Eddie Montgomery.

Grammy-nominated Montgomery Gentry has released six studio albums and received an American Music Award in 1999 for Favorite New Artist - Country. The band went on to win awards from the Academy of Country Music and Country Music Association, and it was inducted into the Grand Ole Opry in 2009.

Gentry and Montgomery have been performing together for more than two decades. Sadly, this isn't the first tragedy for their families: In 2015, Eddie's son, Hunter Montgomery, died at the age of 19. The heartbreak followed several rocky years for the artist: A few years earlier, he'd received a prostate cancer diagnosis -- and divorce papers from his wife not long later. He filed for bankruptcy in 2014.

Our sincerest  condolences to  the family and friends 

RIP Troy  you will be sadly missed                 Shadow & Witchy

20 Dark Secrets The Royal Family Wants To Keep Hidden

Katie Prince Jun 13, 2017 
The British royal family has captured public interest for hundreds of years, from Henry VIII and his wives to the tragic death of the people’s princess, Diana, in 1997. The royal family is an institution that has significant cultural importance not just in Britain, but worldwide.

Since her coronation in 1952, Queen Elizabeth II has been at the head of an ever -growing family. Her reign has been the most publicized in history, following the expansion of the media and creation of the internet – there is no-where to hide.

While it may all look like extravagant carriages, tiaras and socializing, have you ever wondered what secrets lurk behind the gilded walls of Buckingham Palace? Over the years, there have been leaks to the press, incriminating photographs, dozens of affairs and even secret relatives. Although the royal family try their best to keep these embarrassing incidents under wraps, it’s never long before the shocking events surface, tarnishing the Windsor name.

From princesses dating convicts and princes dirty talking with their extramarital lovers, there have been moments the inner workings of the royal family have been laid bare for us all to see, when they should have remained secrets forever. As the years go by, it’s easy to forget just how many shocking stories have passed – and how desperately the royal family wished they had never seen the light of day.

Here are 20 Dark Secrets The Royal Family Wants to Keep Hidden.

20. PRINCE CHARLES WANTED TO BE CAMILLA’S TAMPON

Prepare to be a little grossed out. Prince Charles’ marriage to Lady Diana Spencer was nothing if not rocky. Both parties had numerous affairs, including Prince Charles very public romance with his previous girlfriend, Camilla Parker-Bowles, the Duchess of Cornwall. Both Charles and Camilla were still married to their prospective spouses, but it didn’t stop them exchanging some very kinky phone calls. In 1992, the year Charles and Diana officially separated, a phone conversation was leaked where Charles expressed the desire to ‘live inside [Camilla’s] trousers as ‘a pair of knickers’ or, most disturbingly, ‘a Tampax’. The press went wild and titled the incident ‘tampongate.’ I bet his mother had some stern words with him over that one.
19. WALLIS SIMPSON AND EDWARD VIII HAD NAZI CONNECTIONS

The love affair between Wallis Simpson and King Edward VIII rocked the 1930’s. Simpson was an American socialite, already twice divorced by the time she met Edward, making her unsuitable to marry the king. In a series of events that scandalized the royals, Edward abdicated the throne to marry her. If that wasn’t enough, prior to and during World War II, the couple were suspected of having strong Nazi connections. In 1937, the two traveled to Germany to meet Adolf Hitler. The FBI also discovered that Simpson had once been the lover of the Nazi foreign minister. Given the atrocities Hitler committed and the devastation caused by the war, it’s not surprising that this is a connection the royals want to remain forgotten.
18. THE QUEEN AND HER SECRET COUSINS

In 2011, a documentary aired on the British network, Channel 4. It was called The Queen’s Hidden Cousins and revealed a scandal that had avoided the public eye for decades. In the 1940’s, mental disabilities weren’t understood like they are today. The Royal Family viewed it as an embarrassment and two of the Queen’s first cousins, Nerissa and Katherine Bowes-Lyon fell victim. Nieces of the Queen Mother, the two girls were incarcerated in a mental institution in 1941 and remained in care there for the rest of their lives, cut off from the royals forever. In the documentary, nurses who oversaw them categorically stated that no members of the family ever came to visit the two sisters, who were unable to articulate speech, but had a great mischievous spirit. This claim was disputed by the family.
17. DIANA WAS THAT UNHAPPY, SHE THREW HERSELF DOWN THE STAIRS WHILE PREGNANT

It’s no secret that Prince Charles and Diana had a terrible marriage, as I have previously touched upon. Unlike many royals, Diana was vocal about her private affairs. Despite her short life, we know more about Diana thanks to her personal papers, confidants and biographers, than we know about many other royals still living. In tapes aired on US television in 2004, Diana talks about how unhappy she was within the marriage, her struggle with depression and suicide attempts. In one segment, she describes how she threw herself down the stairs when she was three months pregnant with Prince William, landing at the feet of the Queen. Speaking of her troubles, she said, ‘I was trying to cut my wrists with razor blades…we were trying to hide that from everybody…I was just so desperate.’
16. PRINCESS BEATRICE DATED A KILLER

Seventh in line for the throne and the Queen’s granddaughter, Princess Beatrice is a socialite and philanthropist. She also has made some dodgy dating decisions in the past. In 2006 when the princess was just 17-years-old, she started dating American playboy Paolo Liuzzo. Prior to his relationship with Princess Beatrice, Liuzzo was arrested for the manslaughter of 19-year-old Jonathan Duchatellier. Duchatellier was savagely beaten and died as a result of his injuries in 2002, after allegedly confronting Liuzzo for disrespecting females at a party. Amazingly, the manslaughter charge was dropped and reduced to assault and battery. Liuzzo even broke the terms of his probation while wooing Beatrice, by taking a trip to the French Alps. Thankfully, the relationship was short lived.
15. THE DUCHESS OF YORK HAD HER TOES SUCKED ON CAMERA

Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York, was married to the Queen’s son, Prince Andrew. Together they had two daughters, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie. The Duke and Duchess separated in 1992, as their marriage began to break down. The Duchess was less than discreet about her dalliances with other men, leading the other members of the royal family to snub her. The situation only got worse when she was photographed topless on a beach with financier John Bryan. If that wasn’t bad enough, the paps managed to get some shots of Bryan sucking her toes. Queenie didn’t take kindly to this and reportedly banned her from Balmoral.
14. PRINCE HARRY DRESSED AS A NAZI

Back in 2005, Charles and Diana’s youngest son attended a costume party – dressed as a Nazi. This is a risky enough outfit for the average Joe, let alone a British royal. Of course, pictures from the party were leaked to the press who promptly plastered it over their front pages. Harry, then just 20 years old, made a public apology via royal officers, which read, ‘Prince Harry has apologized for any offense or embarrassment he has caused. He realizes it was a poor choice of costume.’ The media held on to the story for some time, and it caused widespread outrage worldwide. Next time, just stick to a Ghostbusters costume, eh Harry?
13. PRINCESS ANNE OWNED A DOG THAT ATTACKED CHILDREN

Princess Anne is the only daughter of Queen Elizabeth, sister to Prince Charles and Prince Andrew. Known for her charity work, it might surprise you to realize that Anne is no stranger to scandal either. In 2002, Princess Anne and her husband were putting their dogs into the car after walking them in Windsor Great Park. One of the dogs, an English Bull Terrier, escaped and savagely attacked two young boys riding their bikes. The couple were taken to court and ordered to pay a fine, making it the first time a senior royal had ever been charged with a criminal offence. The dog was allowed to live, to the anger of the victim’s families. The following year, the same dog killed one of the Queen’s most beloved corgis.
12. PRINCE ANDREW WAS FRIENDS WITH A PEDOPHILE

Prince Andrew is no stranger to controversy. In 2011, it emerged that the prince was good friends with convicted sex offender and American financier, Jeffrey Epstein. Epstein was found guilty of soliciting prostitution from underage girls in June 2008. Police had launched an investigation into Epstein after a mother of a 14-year-old girl came forward and found some unsettling evidence. He was sentenced to 18 months, but released after serving just 13. Sarah Ferguson claimed that her ex-husband had asked Epstein to clear some of her debts. Although he later reported he had cut all ties with Epstein, Buckingham Palace came under new pressure to explain the prince’s ties with the American in 2015.
11. QUEEN VICTORIA AND PRINCE ALBERT WERE FIRST COUSINS

If you thought that jokes about the royal family being incestuous were just jokes, you might be surprised to know that it’s factually correct. Although it wouldn’t happen in this day and age, two of the most famous monarchs of all time were actually first cousins. Queen Victoria and Prince Albert were married in 1840 and had 9 children together. Victoria was vocal about her love for Albert, and was devastated after his death of typhoid fever in 1861. She mourned for the rest of her life. Can you image two first cousins marrying and having children in any family today, let alone the British royals?
10. PRINCESS ANNE’S SON IN LAW SPENT A NIGHT IN A DWARF TOSSING CLUB

Yes, it’s as bizarre as it sounds. He may not be of royal by blood, but rugby ace Mike Tindall married Princess Anne’s daughter, Zara Phillips, so the connection is there. In 2011, the former England captain spent a night at a dwarf tossing club in New Zealand following their win over Argentina. Although Tindall said not one member of the team threw a dwarf, his presence there was enough to outrage media and stars alike – including Peter Dinklage, who plays Tyrion Lannister in Game of Thrones. Do you think this is worse or on par with Harry’s Nazi costume faux pas? Let me know in the comments.
9. PRINCE HARRY WAS CAUGHT USING RACIAL SLURS

In 2009, Prince Harry was dealt a huge blow to his reputation when a tape emerged of him using racial slurs against members of his own army platoon, whilst they waited to be deployed from Sandhurst Military Academy. In the video, appearing as though it is shot by Harry himself, you can hear the prince using offensive language as well as racist terms. Once again, Harry had to make a public apology to try and save the royal family from further embarrassment. It didn’t work and the footage was relentlessly replayed around the world. In the statement, Harry said he understood the impact of his words and the offence they could cause. Too little, too late.
8. PRINCESS MARGARET HAD A TOY BOY (AND A STRING OF AFFAIRS)

The late Princess Margaret, the Queen’s sister, piqued public interest with her lifestyle choices. A heavy smoker and drinker since the age of 15, Margaret lived life as she wanted to. Although she married photographer Antony Armstrong-Jones in 1960, Margaret’s conquests didn’t end there. In 1973 the Princess started an affair with a gardener, 17 years her junior. Margaret didn’t escape the press and in 1976 a picture of the princess with her lover, Roddy Llewellyn, appeared on the front page of the now defunct News of the World. This wasn’t the first extramarital affair that rocked the marriage, and by 1978 the divorce was finalized.
7. PRINCE ANDREW WAS FRIENDS WITH A GUN SMUGGLER, TOO

They say you’re only as good as the company you keep – if that’s the case, Prince Andrew really isn’t much good at all. Before his 2011 dalliance with convicted pedophile Epstein, the prince publicly went on holiday to Tunisia with convicted gun smuggler Tarek Kaituni. Libyan born Kaituni is said to have presented Andrew and his daughters with very expensive jewelry, in exchange for some of the prince’s business influence. The press were quick to jump on the royal for being so blatant about his deplorable social circle, with The Times stating in 2015, ‘Prince Andrew dazzles easily when confronted with immense wealth and apparent power. He has fallen for ‘friendships’ with bad, corrupt and clever men.’ Ouch. We wonder what mother had to say on the matter.
6. THE DUCHESS OF YORK TRIED TO SELL ACCESS TO PRINCE ANDREW

It might be easy to see why Sarah Ferguson isn’t in the good graces of the Queen. After all, not only was she loosey-goosey with her affairs, in 2010 an undercover reporter sensationally recorded her as she sold access to her ex-husband Prince Andrew. It wasn’t for small change either – she attempted to bank $700,000 for the deal. The Duchess was filmed telling the fake businessman, ‘Do you understand that I absolutely have not a pot to p**s in? I left the royal family with friendship, no money. Diana left with £20 million. And that’s why the Queen is my friend because I never took a bean from them. I have the biggest heart and the biggest of everything. But I have zero money. I have nothing.’ Is the Queen really your friend, though, Duchess?
5. PRINCE HARRY WENT TO REHAB

During his younger years, Prince Harry was the token royal wild child. At the age of 17, Harry admitted to his father, Prince Charles, that he had been experimenting with marijuana and underage drinking. On the back of that, Charlie took action and arranged for his son (and third in line for the throne) to attend Featherstone Lodge Rehabilitation center. The prince didn’t receive any treatment, but took a guided tour and interacted with patients and staff to understand the potential consequences of substance abuse. The media praised Prince Charles for setting a positive example, whilst the Queen probably shook her head in disapproval and took the corgis for a walk.
4. PRINCE PHILIP LET SOME RACIAL SLURS SLIP, TOO

Queen Elizabeth’s husband, the Duke of Edinburgh is particularly prone to making racist comments – perhaps that’s where Harry inherited it from. What’s worse is that he doesn’t seem to care about making them in public. Way back in the 80’s, on a visit to China, he said to a group of British students, ‘If you stay here much longer, you’ll go slit-eyed.’ Wow. Fast forward 20 years later and the prince clearly hadn’t learnt from his mistakes when he asked an Australian Aboriginal leader, ‘Do you still throw spears at each other?’ SMDH. Prince Philip stood down from his royal duties earlier this year, at the age of 96.
3. PRINCESS DIANA BLAMED CHARLES FOR HER EATING DISORDER

If her short life wasn’t tragic enough, being trapped in a loveless marriage in the public eye put enormous pressure on the late Princess Diana. During the same secret interview tapes that were released on US TV, she spoke candidly about how Charles had drove her to an eating disorder. ‘The bulimia started the week after we got engaged. My husband put his hand on my waistline and said, “Oh, bit chubby here, aren’t we?” and that triggered off something in me. And the Camilla thing. I was desperate, desperate.’ Diana was just 19 years old when she became engaged to Charles, who had previously dated her older sister, Sarah.
2.  PRINCESS ANNE’S HUSBAND HAD A LOVE CHILD

Princess Anne married Lieutenant Mark Phillips in 1973 at Westminster Abbey, in a highly televised and anticipated ceremony. Like many royal marriages, the road was rocky for the couple. Phillips had an affair with New Zealand art teacher, Heather Tonkin. A daughter was born as a result of the tryst in 1985. The marriage struggled on for four more years before Princess Anne and Phillips separated in 1989. The divorce was finalized a few years later in 1992. Interestingly, Anne remarried later that year, becoming the first royal divorcee to do so since Henry VIII. The marriage ceremony was much more reserved than the first, with only 30 guests – and no cameramen.

1. PEOPLE DOUBT IF PRINCE CHARLES IS HARRY’S FATHER

It might seem as though there couldn’t possibly be any more scandal surrounding Prince Charles and Princess Diana, but believe me, we’ve only just scraped the surface. In 1995, Diana let it all out in a tell-all interview with journalist Martin Bashir, on the BBC program Panorama. In the interview, Diana admitted to her five-year affair with James Hewitt, a military man. It was widely speculated after Diana’s death that Hewitt was the biological father of her son, Prince Harry – and not Prince Charles. Although the two are extremely similar looks wise, Hewitt has denied it, saying Harry was born before their relationship started. What do you think?

Sources: bbc.co.uk, dailymail.com, itv.com, mirror.co.uk 

Celebrities Who Are Scientology’s Fiercest Defenders

By Nicole Weaver 
It’s no secret that there are many celebrities who are into Scientology. The organization is very driven at recruiting new members and even has a celebrity center. However, despite all of its high profile members there has been a lot of criticism of the organization through documentary films and books detailing people’s experiences. 

And while there have been many criticisms, there are also loyal celebrities who stand and defend Scientology. So who has spoken out to defend it? Here are the 15 celebrities who are Scientology’s fiercest defenders.
                                                     Will Smith  

In an interview, the movie star defended Tom Cruise and his choice to support Scientology. “When I sit and I talk with Tom Cruise, he is one of the greatest spirits that I’ve ever met – someone who is committed to making the world better,” he said according to Today. “You have people [that] are attacking and wanna fight that don’t know nothing — how you gonna not know nothing about Scientology and attack somebody? It’s dangerous and it’s ignorant.”
                                                   John Travolta

The actor has also been associated with the organization for a long time. He reportedly joined in 1975, and is included in books and documentaries about Scientology. He defended it when the documentary, Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief was released by calling the movie negative.

I haven’t experienced anything that the hearsay has [claimed], so why would I communicate something that wasn’t true for me?” he told The Tampa Bay Times. “It wouldn’t make sense, nor would it for Tom [Cruise], I imagine. I’ve been so happy with my [Scientology] experience in the last 40 years that I really don’t have anything to say that would shed light on [a documentary] so decidedly negative.
                                                 Kirstie Alley

Kirstie Alley is also a Scientologist, and fellow actress Leah Remini talked about being shunned by her and many other Scientologists after leaving the organization. This is reportedly one of the common actions members take against those who choose to leave. When asked about it, Alley said she did no such thing on The Howard Stern Show.

She left the religion and she was very critical. That’s just sort of water under the bridge. There’s nothing going on and there was nothing going on for years. I didn’t shun her, but if a lot of people are rejecting you, at some point you gotta ask, ‘What am I doing?’ I mean, that’s what I would have asked myself.
                                               Michael Peña

As a Scientologist, the actor was asked to comment on the many accusations being said about the organization. He completely wrote the accusations off. “But I don’t read that stuff,” he told The Guardian. “OK, imagine we’re friends, you and me. Buddies. And there’s a tabloid story about you. There’s no way I’m going to read some f***ing tabloid story about you. Especially when I know it’s misinformed.”
                                                    Erika Christensen

The Parenthood actress was raised a Scientologist so it’s not a surprise that she’s outspoken about it. She has talked about what she believes to be misconceptions about the organization. “One, that we are some kind of closed group. Two, that we are the Hollywood religion and three, that we worship rabbits,” she said on Across the Board. She later added, “If I had to sum it up, the goal of Scientology is giving the person back to themselves. Like, your own power of choice.”
                                                     Isaac Hayes

The actor and composer was a member of the organization before he passed away. He also was the voice of the character, Chef on South Park. However, he quit the show in 2006 after the show aired an episode about Scientology. “It was like a day or two after,” explained Matt Stone according to Metro, “and it was pretty obvious from the conversation that somebody had sent him to ask us to pull the episode. It had already gone on the air, and we didn’t tell him because we didn’t want him to be held accountable. Plausible deniability.”

Some reported that the actor quitting was a sign of him sticking up for the organization, but it might not have totally been his decision. He had a stroke which made it harder for him to get around .
                                                    Juliette Lewis

The actress is also a Scientologist and doesn’t believe the allegations of abuse. She has since come up with a conspiracy theory as to why there are so many documentaries and books on the subject:

The mainstream media is funded by pharmaceutical companies, so when you have the biggest movie star in the world at the time – Tom Cruise – coming out against anti-depressants and Ritalin and just saying, ‘Hey, why don’t you put a warning label on there?’ The thing about Scientology is it is anti-drug in that you’re seeking relationship or communication tools – simple basics on how to live better.

However, anti-depressants, like most medication, do have warning labels. Also, Tom Cruise didn’t seem to mention this in his interview, but advised people to replace anti-depressants with vitamins.
                                                     Goldie Hawn

The actress doesn’t seem to be a Scientologist herself, but she has defended it by signing a letter condemning Germany and accusing the government of banning members from political parties, public schools, and more.
                                                 Dustin Hoffman

The actor isn’t a Scientologist, but he has also publicly defended the organization by signing the letter condemning Germany.
                                                      Larry King

The former talk show host did talk about Scientology on his show. He interviewed Leah Remini, who talked about her terrible experience with the organization. But he also reportedly defended it by signing the letter to Germany.
                                                 Jenna Elfman

The actress also reportedly wasn’t happy with Leah Remini choice to be outspoken against Scientology. She tweeted a long message speaking out against “sensationalism” and Kirstie Alley retweeted it. Elfman wrote:

What is important to me? I give a damn about making the world a better place. I care about seeing others smile with genuine happiness. I think the world needs more of that. I’m not interested in sensationalism. I’m interested in seeing other people do well. And spreading kindness, warmth and sincerity. I never forget to appreciate the absurd. And I find it uplifting to admire what’s right in others. I also find it pleasurable to be totally ridiculous. 
                                                     Elisabeth Moss

Scientology has gotten flak for being against homosexuality. The actress was asked about this reported policy and she defended the organization.

“One of the most important things I take from my church is the idea of personal freedom and our rights as human beings,” she told The Advocate, “and that includes the right to date a man or a woman. Personal freedom is a very important concept in my religion, and I translate that to sexual orientation.”
                                           Barbara Walters

The former news anchor isn’t a Scientologist, but she defended it on The View. “I’m not going to speak about Scientology in general, but Scientology has a pretty good educational program,” she said. “They’re not telling people to drop out.” She continued, “I have been to some of the Scientology schools and some of their education programs are very good. The last thing I want to do is to argue about Scientology.”

This statement was questioned by Jenna Miscavige Hill, who left Scientology, but was the niece of the organization’s leader. She said Walters’ statement was “ignorant and irresponsible.” Miscavige Hill claims her schooling with the organization was basically a labor camp.
                                              Danny Masterson

The That ’70s Show star has no time for those who want to question him about his belief in Scientology. He said those who think it’s weird can go “f*** yourself,” according to Paper magazine.

“I’ve never been given a hard time my entire life about my belief system or my philosophy in life. Literally never once in 38 years. If people start like asking questions in a way where I feel like they have an ulterior motive, I’m just like, ‘Dude, just go buy a f***ing book and read it and decide for your f***ing self what it means. I don’t have time to have this conversation with you.'”
                                                       Tom Cruise

The actor is definitely one of the organization’s biggest stars. His name is often brought up when someone mentions Scientology. This is because he has been associated with the organization since 1990. The actor has been included in documentaries and books about Scientology. Video of him talking about the organization was leaked and made headlines. When asked about the claims of abuse and more in Scientology, he sticks behind the organization without addressing the problems directly.

“It’s something that has helped me incredibly in my life, I’ve been a Scientologist for over 30 years,” he said according to Radar Online. “It’s something, you know, without it, I wouldn’t be where I am. So it’s a beautiful religion, I’m incredibly proud.”

The religion is also very critical of psychiatry, because of this, Cruise criticized Brooke Shields on Access Hollywood for taking anti-depressants to treat postpartum depression.

These drugs are dangerous. I have actually helped people come off.  When you talk about postpartum, you can take people today, women, and what you do is you use vitamins. There is a hormonal thing that is going on, scientifically, you can prove that. But when you talk about emotional, chemical imbalances in people, there is no science behind that. You can use vitamins to help a woman through those things.